Four Naga men found dead with bullet injuries in Manipur’s Kamjong
Representational image. (Image courtesy: Wikimedia)
New Delhi: Four Tangkhul Naga men were found dead with bullet injuries in Manipur’s Kamjong district on Friday, in the latest deadly attack reported from the state’s hill areas. Their bodies were recovered from an isolated location in Pilong village near the Myanmar border, as security forces and local residents searched the area following reports of an attack.
The bodies of Vareishim Jajo, Phami Jajo, Betterson Jajo and Ningthem Kashak were found around 1.30am after a prolonged search by police and locals, PTI reported. The four men were allegedly shot dead by suspected militants, while the bodies were recovered from a remote area nearly 34 kilometers from the Kamjong district headquarters.
The incident has added to a series of attacks on civilians in Manipur’s hill districts in recent weeks. Areas inhabited by Naga and Kuki-Zo communities have reported shootings and attacks on villages, with both sides facing civilian casualties.
RNA Media had earlier reported the killing of a 17-year-old Liangmai Naga student in Tamenglong district while he was travelling towards school. The incident was followed by condemnation from a tribal organization, while the identity of those responsible remained unclear.
These attacks have come amid rising tensions between the Nagas and Kuki-Zo groups in certain hill regions. Such conflicts are linked to disputes over land and territory, as well as political control in specific regions, where these two communities live side by side. Another factor that has shaped the security situation is the presence of armed groups and the Myanmar border.
The current hostilities in Naga and Kuki regions come at a time when there is an existing ethnicity conflict involving the Meitei and Kuki-Zo tribes that erupted in May 2023. Even though the conflict is still ongoing without any resolution, other conflicts involving other tribes have emerged.
Police are investigating the Kamjong killings and the identities of the attackers. Allegations about the involvement of particular armed groups have emerged in local reporting, but these claims have not been independently established. The latest deaths are likely to intensify concerns over civilian safety in the state’s remote border and hill areas.
